New Delhi: The Supreme Court (SC), Tuesday, directed Odisha and other states to provide medicines, masks, sanitisers and other essential goods to elderly people and also provide regular pension to the identified elderly people during the pandemic.
A two-judge bench of the apex court comprising Justices Ashok Bhushan and R Subhash Reddy directed all the states to submit their replies to the averments made in the application within four weeks.
“We, in this application, which pertains to Covid-19 crisis, direct that all old age people who are eligible for pension should be regularly paid pension and those identified elderly people should be provided necessary medicines, masks, sanitisers and other essential goods by respective states. Further, as and when any individual request is made, the same shall be attended to by the Administration with all promptness. The caregivers of those old age homes should be provided personal protection and appropriate sanitisation should also be undertaken in the old age homes,” the bench said.
The court observed that it had already given directions regarding issues faced by senior citizens December 13, 2018 which need to be complied with by all concerned including the states.
During the hearing, petitioner in person Ashwani Kumar pleaded the court for certain further directions with regard to elderly people who need more care and protection in this pandemic of Covid 19.
The petitioner submitted that the elderly have already been identified since most of them are getting pension from the states under thedifferent schemes. He submitted to the court that the older people, who are living alone, are worst hit and are not able to get medicines, masks, sanitisers and other essential goods.
“The care givers of these people are also not equipped with personal protection equipment and are also untrained,” petitioner submitted.
The prayer has also been made for issuing appropriate direction for timely payment of old age pension to all elderly persons who are receiving the pension.
Meanwhile, V Mohana, the counsel appearing for the Union of India, submitted that necessary steps have been taken to give protection to the elderly during this pandemic.
